Envelop.



No. 654,865. Patented July 3!, I900. I

y w. T. vuuuezn. V

ENVELOP.

Application filed Nov. 24, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Shoals-Sheet 2.

WWW

T'Nreo STATES PATENT Fries;

WILLIAM TURNER YoUNeER, on ST. Louis, Missouri.

. ENVELOP.

SPECIFICATION forming ra Letters Patent No. 654,865, dated. July 31,1900'.

Application iiled Noveniher 24,1899. Serial N... 788,209. (No model.)

To all whom it mar concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM TURNER YOUNGER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Irn provements in Envelops; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in envelops; and it consists in the novelfeatures hereinafter described, reference beinghad to the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate one form in which I have contemplatedembodying my invention, and said invention is fully disclosed in' thefollowing description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents the envelop-blank.Fig; 2 is a similar view of the same, showing the lower flap folded up.Fight is a view of 'the com plete envelop drawn to a larger scale withthe top flap in open position; Fig. lis a View of the envelop sealed,showing the rear side; and Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectionalview of the sealed envelop on line 5 5 of Fig. at.

The object of my invention is to provide an envelop which cannot beopened in any way, even after softening the gum or mucilage by meansofwhich it is sealed, without tearing or defacing some'part of theenvelop, so as to indicate clearly that it has been tam pered with.

My improved envelop consists of a single sheet of paper or othersuitable material constructed as shown in Fig. 1, in which A representsthe rectangular central portionprovided with four outlying portions orflaps,

the dotted lines a, a, a and a indicating thelines upon which the saidflaps are folded upon the central portion A to form the envelop.

13 represents the bottom flap, which is provided with straight lateraledges 1) b, adapted to coincide with the dotted lines indicating theside folds-to wit, a a

drawings,havinginwardly-convergingcurved (or straight) edges b b,terminating on each side of a narrow outwardly-projecting flap bpreferably substantially triangular in shape,

ate the locking-flap.

The outer edge of the flap B is given the form shown in the which forconvenience of reference I desig The bottom flap B is gummed on theoutside along the edges b b, and the locking-flap b is gummed on theinside.

In the various figures of the drawings I have indicated the portions ofthe envelop which are preferably coated with gum or mucilage by aseries-of parallel lines, and

such gummed portions as are on the lower sides of the figures or thesides concealed from the observer and which therefore would not show inthese figures I have indicated in parallel dotted lines. Thus in Fig. 1the gummed portions of the flap B adjacent to the edges 1) areunderneath and hidden from View in this figure, and I have thereforeindicated them in dotted lines, as above stated.

G 0 represent the side flaps, which are adapted to fold over on thelines a c upon the exterior of the bottom flap B. Each of these sideflaps has an upper edge 0, which inclines slightly downward from itsjunction with the central portion A of the envelop; a horizontal edgec',eirtending from the outer end of the flap inwardly about half-waytoward the line a or a of the folds; a curved or inclined edge 0 whichextends from the bottom of the central portion A up to within a shortdistance of the edge 0', and an edge 0 which extends from the edge einwardly,

forininga notch 0 The flaps O C are gummed on their inner faces alongthe edges 0 as in flap to be sealed. This flap has edges d,which 5approach each other and are given the general form of an envelop-sealing flap until near the upper end of the flap, where it is providedwith an enlarged headportion, and slits d d are formed in said headportion in line with the edges d, which slits extend inwardly aconsiderable distance beyond the lateral B is first folded up onthe'dotted line a, Fig. 1, upon the central portion A. The side flaps CO are then folded over upon the bottom flap and sealed thereto along theedges c of said side flaps and the edges 5 b" of the bottom flap, asshown in Fig. 3, and the overlapping upper portions of the flaps C O.are sealed-tm gether. By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be observedthat the lower portionsof the side flaps willbe united to the bottomflap by means of the gummed surfaces along the edges 0 c of the sideflaps, while the upper portions of the side flaps will be united to theupper portions of the bottom flap by means of the gummed portions of thebottom fiap on the outside of the same adjacent to the edges 12 b". Whenthe envelop is thus put together, as shown in Fig. 3, it isready foruse, and it will be observed that a locking-aperture E (see Fig. 3) isformed in the back of the envelop, having a straight horizontal upperedge formed by the edges 0 c of the side flaps and downwardly incliningand converging curved edges terminating at each side of the lockingfiap17 This aperture is of substantially the same width as the anchor-shapedtongue,so that the tonguecan readily be inserted therein, and the widthof the locking-flap b issubstantially the same as the distance betweenthe inner ends of the slits d d of the locking:

tongue.

In order to seal the envelop after its contents have been placed withinthe same, the top flap D is folded downward on the line a, and theanchor-shaped sealing-tongue is inserted in the aperture E, after havingthe gum on the inside-of the flap D and the out side of the tongue (1moistened. The top flap is then sealed, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the

portions of the flap along the edges d d being sealed on the outside ofthe envelop and the anchor-tongue being sealed against the inside of theback of the envelop, as will be readily understood from the drawings.The lockingflap b is then gummed and sealed down on the outside of the.top flap D, thus completing the sealing of the envelop. In using anenvelopof this construction it will be found impossible to open it inany way without the aid of instruments, and even if the gum or mucilagebe softened by steaming or otherwise,

without tearing or breaking some part of the envelop, so as to clearlyindicate that it has been tampered with.

It is obviousthat instead of coating the envelop with gum or mucilage atthe portion indicated the m-ucilage or other sealing material could beapplied at the proper points at the time of using or sealing theenvelop;

In folding up the envelop the bottom flap the envelop as pre receivingaperture, and the top flap provided with the anchor-shaped tongue ofsubstantially the width of said aperture, said tongue being adapted tobe'passed through said aperture and being provided on its outer sidewith means for sealingit to the inner'side of the bottom flap,substantially as. described.

1 2. An envelop comprising among-its members, the central portion, thebottomfl'a-p having its outer edge out away'to form inwardlyconvergingedges and a locking-flap'between the inner ends of said convergingedges, the side flaps having overlapping up per-portions, lowerportionsadapted to overlap the bottom flap, and angular notches betweensaidupper and lower portions forming withthe cut-away portions of thebottom flap a tongue-receiving aperture, adjacent to said locking-flap,

and the top flap having an anchor-shaped tongue adapted to be passedthrough said'aperture'beneath the locking-tongue whereby the outside ofsaid tongue can be sealed to the inside of the bottom flap and theinside of said locking-flap can be sealed to said top flap adjacent tosaid tongue, substantially as described.

3. An envelop comprising among its members the centralportion, thebottom flap having straight side edges of substantially the width of thecentral portion, and having its loweredge cutaway to forminwardly-converging edges, and a locking-flap betweenthe inner ends ofsaid converging edges, the side .fiaps adapted to fold over the bottomflap,

having overlapping upper portions sealed together, and to the upperportions of said bottom flap, lower portions sealed to said bottom flap,and an gularnotches between saidupper and lower portions forming withthe cut-away portion of the bottom flap a tongue-receiving aperture,said locking-tongue being gummed on its inner side, and the, top flapprovided with an anchor-tongue for engaging said aperture, said tonguebeing gummed on the outer side,whereby said tongue can be sealed to theinner side of the bottom flap and the locking-flap can be sealed to theoutside of said top flap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses. I WILLIAM TURNER YOU N GER.

Witnesses:

. M. JAooBY,

ALBERT OoHN.

ICC

IIO

